social engineering

American  

[soh-shuhl en-juh-neer-ing] / ˈsoʊ ʃəl ˌɛn dʒəˈnɪər ɪŋ /

noun

1. Political Science. the manipulation of social beliefs and behaviors by public or private entities through legislation, policy, and investment.

2. a technique that uses psychological manipulation, fraud, or dishonesty to force people to disclose private personal or corporate information, or to take a particular action.

   Hackers are using social engineering to perpetrate phishing scams.

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social engineering British  

noun

1. the manipulation of the social position and function of individuals in order to manage change in a society

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Other Word Forms

• social engineer
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of social engineering

First recorded in 1895–1900

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

social engineering

The agent set up fake accounts and impersonated humans in a hacking technique known as social engineering as part of the attempt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

These can include phishing or social engineering - gaining access by sending fake emails to employees who click a nefarious link which gives hackers access to a company's systems.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

Experts call this a type of fraud "social engineering" - where scammers dupe their victims using psychological manipulation, instilling fear and urgency.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

So far, the most common use of AI for hacking has been social engineering.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

They use social engineering hacks to try to get us to reveal ourselves so that they can bust us.

From Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

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